Everything We Know About Tesla's Next-Gen Car: The More Affordable Model

By Karan Singh
@DominicBRNKMN/X

During the Q4 2024 Earnings Call, Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla’s next-generation affordable vehicle is set to launch in the first half of 2025. Now, more than three months into 2025, Tesla may be just a few months away from unveiling their next-gen model.

Surprisingly, details remain scarce—no major leaks, early sightings, or concrete reveals. That hasn’t stopped speculation, though.

Project Redwood

Internally, Tesla refers to the project as Project Redwood, while externally, fans and skeptics alike have dubbed it the Model Q or Model 2. A Chinese tech outlet leaked some details back in December, suggesting a vehicle sized somewhere between a MINI and a Model 3.

That estimate aligns with expectations for Tesla’s compact, mass-market EV, but many questions remain. Where will Tesla build it? Will it share parts with other models? And when will customers finally get their hands on it?

We have some ideas on how to answer these questions—and more. Some of this information comes from past Tesla events, such as the “We, Robot” autonomy event and previous earnings calls.

As always, we’ll cite sources where possible and point out where we’re making informed guesses or speculating.

Based on the Cybercab

@DominicBRNKMN/X

Tesla plans to build the Cybercab and the next-generation vehicle at Giga Texas. Initially, both were slated for production at Giga Mexico, but with increased tariffs under the new administration, those plans fell through. As a result, the two vehicles will likely be built side by side, making it essential for Tesla to share as many components as possible.

Just as the Model 3 and Model Y, as well as the Model S and Model X, share numerous parts, the next-gen vehicle is expected to have a significant overlap with the Cybercab. Both are designed for inner-city travel and built with affordability in mind.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean the next-gen vehicle will resemble the Cybercab. Instead, it will likely use similar components, such as a single lower-horsepower rear motor, a smaller battery pack, and a more compact frame. By streamlining parts production, Tesla can drive down costs to make both the Cybercab and the next-gen vehicle financially viable.

Premium Feel

Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of Engineering, recently appeared on the Ride the Lightning podcast, where he discussed the upcoming next-generation affordable model and Tesla’s broader goals.

One key objective is ensuring that every Tesla product feels like a premium purchase—delivering more value than its price suggests. To achieve this, Tesla has been exploring new materials and innovative combinations to improve durability, design, and overall build quality, with the next-gen affordable vehicle being no exception.

Paint-Impregnated Panels

The Cybercab is using unique paint-impregnated plastic panels for its body shell—designed to be easy to produce, customize, and replace. The best part is that nicks and scratches are far less noticeable since the paint runs through the material. This makes repairs and replacements quick and hassle-free in case of accidental damage.

While the Cybercab will only come in the gold color we’ve seen, Tesla is expected to offer multiple variants and color options for the next-gen model. Given how striking the Cybercab’s base color already looks, there’s a strong potential for new finishes and textures unlike anything seen before.

City-Range

Not a Tesla App

At the We, Robot event, Tesla shared additional details about the Cybercab, and we used that information to estimate its battery size. Based on our findings, we estimate the battery pack to be between 51.6vkWh and 74.6vkWh, which would give the Cybercab an estimated range of 220 to 270 miles, assuming it achieves the 5.5 miles per kWh Tesla mentioned.

Tesla also confirmed during the Q3 2024 Earnings Call that the Cybercab will feature a more power-efficient powertrain, improving its efficiency over current models. This powertrain is likely to be shared with the next-gen model, meaning it will also see a lower miles per kW metric.

Wireless Charging

We don’t believe that Tesla will produce the next-gen model with wireless charging, like the Cybercab. Implementing wireless charging is expensive, and currently, the Cybercab is the only known vehicle capable of using it. The Cybertruck has the necessary receivers, but the feature hasn’t been implemented yet, but may be available as a retrofit.

Tesla has already said they plan to roll out wireless charging at select V4 Superchargers in the future, but these will likely be aimed at the Cybercab and Tesla’s other flagship models. This means that the upcoming Model S and Model X refresh could include wireless charging, but it may remain exclusive to higher-end models before trickling down to the rest of the lineup, due to cost.

Price

Tesla’s next-gen model has often been referred to as the “$25,000” model, however, we need to understand that was more than four years ago. Tesla has been mum on the price point of the vehicle, except for the $25k price tag that was shared back in 2021.

Tesla’s offers a cheaper RWD Model 3 in Mexico for about $37,500 USD that removes certain features such as heated and cooled seats and leather, and Tesla is expected to manufacture a new Model Y that costs 20% less to produce in the future.

We believe Tesla will launch its next-gen vehicle for about $30k before any incentives. Once you account for gas savings and potential incentives, this car could sway a lot of customers due to price alone.

Release Date

Tesla previously hinted at a special event tied to its latest referral rewards system, which we believe may coincide with the unveiling of the next-gen affordable model.

With just a couple months left until until the midway point of 2025, it may not be long before we find out more details about this lower-cost vehicle.

We’re excited to cover the event in person, so if you’re considering buying a Tesla, don’t forget to check out our referral codes.

Tesla Software Update 2025.26: Grok, Light Sync, Audio Presets and More [VIDEO]

By Not a Tesla App Staff
Not a Tesla App

Tesla has officially announced the next major software update, 2025.26. As expected, this update will introduce the Grok AI assistant to Tesla vehicles, although it’ll initially be limited to the U.S.

Tesla also announced several other features that will arrive in update 2025.26, such as Light Sync, the ability to create and save audio presets, and others.

We’ll break down each new feature and which models and regions we expect it to be available in.

Grok

Not a Tesla App

After the Grok UI was revealed in update 2025.20 and the Tesla app included the ability to log in to Grok, it’s not surprising that Tesla has finally unveiled Grok in Teslas.

As expected, Grok will only be available on AMD Ryzen-based vehicles. Tesla says that it will also be limited to the United States and require Premium Connectivity, but it looks like it won’t require a subscription to anything else, such as Super Grok.

Unfortunately, Tesla announced that Grok will not be able to control elements in your vehicle and that the old voice command system will still be used to do that.

In a post on X, Tesla showed off Grok in action for the first time, showing the interaction between the driver and Grok. The Grok interface displays sound waves in rainbow-like colors when it’s speaking, much like another popular device. Tesla’s video of Grok is below:

Supported vehicles: Based on Tesla’s post, this is expected to include all AMD vehicles, including the Model S, X, 3, Y, and Cybertruck.

Supported regions: U.S.

Light Sync

Not a Tesla App

Tesla continues to improve the ambient light feature in Teslas by integrating it into more things. Tesla recently started using the ambient lights during Santa Mode and Rainbow Road. They also turn the ambient lighting red when you’re in Service Mode. However, this time, they’re going one step further. The ambient lights can now react to the music you’re playing by presumably changing colors based on the beat.

You’ll also have the option to maximize the brightness of the ambient lights when this feature is enabled, but only when the vehicle is parked, which Tesla is calling Rave Cave.

In addition to reacting to the music, the lights can change color to match the album color of the music being played, which is kind of similar to the ambient lights on some TVs matching the content being displayed. A needless addition? Sure. But very cool as well.

Tesla shows a screenshot of this feature, which is included in the Toybox app, and shows that you can enable or disable each feature individually, including syncing the lights to music, max brightness, and matching the album artwork color.

Supported vehicles: All vehicles with the ambient lighting feature, including the Cybertruck.

Supported regions: Assumed to be available everywhere.

Audio Settings Update

Not a Tesla App

Another feature Tesla highlights is the ability to create presets for audio settings. These audio settings will be in a new Audio tab in the vehicle’s settings, and they’ll allow you to create and save presets for different types of music. For example, you can have a preset for spoken content and another one for pop music.

Each preset will let you adjust the equalizer and set the immersive sound level.

What’s nice here is that it seems that Tesla has redesigned the audio settings and moved them to the main vehicle controls instead of only having them accessible through a button in the music player. You can see the Balance tab at the top, although it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to save the balance as part of the preset.

Supported vehicles: This is expected to be available on all vehicles, although it could exclude the legacy Model S/X.

Dashcam Viewer Updates

Not a Tesla App

This Dashcam Viewer update is only for AMD-based vehicles. It includes the ability to change the playback speed of the video being played, a feature of the old Dashcam Viewer which was surprisingly not included in the new player.

The playback speed is shown on the screen, and you’ll be able to tap it to cycle between varying speeds. The older Dashcam Viewer lets you choose between 0.5x, 1x, 1.5x, and 2x playback speeds, and this is expected to be the same in this update.

With this update, the new Dashcam Viewer also arrives on the Cybertruck for the first time, which was the only Ryzen vehicle excluded when the update was originally released.

Supported vehicles: All AMD Ryzen-based vehicles.

Supported regions: Assumed to be available everywhere.

Supercharger Improvements

Not a Tesla App

As we talked about in an earlier article, Tesla is adding more information to the Supercharger list in your vehicle. Tesla will now show which Superchargers require paid parking, valet, or an access code.

This isn’t as exciting a feature, but it surely prevents a lot of unnecessary frustration for users who arrive at a Supercharger location only to find out it requires you to pay for parking, is only available for valet service, or has other requirements.

If the Supercharger is in a garage, Tesla will now include the floor or level number that the Supercharger is on. While there are usually physical signs at these locations, knowing the floor number the charger is on ahead of time will definitely make it easier to find.

Supported vehicles: Expected to be available on all vehicles.

Supported regions: It’s not clear whether this will be available in all regions.

Onboarding Guide

Not a Tesla App

The last feature that Tesla is highlighting in update 2025.26 is a new onboarding guide that will help new owners become familiar with their vehicles.

According to Tesla, the new guide will run through several features, such as adjusting your seat and mirrors, as well as controlling certain vehicle functions, including the lights, wipers, and Autopilot. This will be a great addition for new owners, as accessing some of these features isn’t apparent, especially if they require use of the unlabeled scroll wheel, such as activating Autopilot on newer vehicles without a stalk.

Supported vehicles: This is expected to only be available on AMD Ryzen vehicles, but Tesla doesn’t specify which vehicles it’ll be available on. Once the update starts rolling out, we should have more information.

Supported regions: This will likely be available in all or most regions.

Release Date

There may be other features included in update 2025.26 that Tesla isn’t highlighting in their post. Tesla often doesn’t include smaller additions or features that were previously introduced but have now been added to more regions.

There’s no doubt that the biggest feature in this update is Grok, but the other updates are nice improvements as well. This feature is expected to roll out to employees this weekend, and it should start rolling out to customers in the next week or two.

Tesla’s Robotaxi Expansion: Tesla Applies in Arizona and Creates Job Postings

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Tesla is moving to aggressively expand its Robotaxi Network at a rapid pace, with new information revealing that an expansion into Arizona is imminent, pending, of course, regulatory approval. Tesla has already begun looking at building out the program to other cities, just weeks after the launch of its pilot program in Austin, Texas.

Phoenix, Arizona, is Next

In a letter received following a query submitted by Sawyer Merritt, the Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDOT) has confirmed that Tesla had officially applied for Robotaxi permits on June 26th, 2025. According to AZDOT, Tesla had applied for the permits for both autonomous vehicle testing and operation with and without a safety driver.

The department also confirmed that Tesla has expressed its interest specifically in operating within the Phoenix Metro area, with a decision on the permits expected by the end of July. This is the first official step to establish Robotaxi within a second state, which is exciting to see.

Tesla Hiring Vehicle Operators

The move into Arizona isn’t an isolated event. It’s the first step in a broader national expansion, as per Tesla’s recent job postings for Robotaxi Vehicle Operators and FSD testers on Tesla’s Careers page. 

These positions, which are necessary for Tesla to launch and validate the service in new locations, show us where Tesla plans to deploy Robotaxi next. The areas include:

  • Tempe, Arizona

  • Palo Alto, California

  • Fremont, California

  • San Diego, California

  • Henderson, Nevada

  • Jacksonville, Florida

Tesla is simultaneously laying the groundwork for expansion in at least three other states besides Texas and Arizona, and that’s a good sign for the network’s quick expansion. Tesla’s executive cadre pointed to a timeline of late 2025 for Robotaxi to be deployed in multiple cities across the United States, and it appears that this timeline is on track.

The Scalability Advantage

This strategy of pursuing multiple markets in parallel highlights the advantage of Tesla’s generalized autonomy approach. Because FSD is designed to be a generalized solution that learns from a global fleet, Tesla does not need to spend years meticulously pre-mapping every street in a new city. 

Instead, it can target new locations and use a smaller fleet of operators to validate the performance and safety of FSD within a new environment. After all, every city has its own unique traffic regulations and environmental considerations that need to be understood.

The key here is that Tesla can turn on a fleet in a whole new location in just a fraction of the time required by other methods, such as HD mapping - which can require hundreds of mapping vehicles, thousands of hours of real humans driving, and many hours of engineering to get all the data cleaned up and ready for use.

The Austin pilot is just the beginning of Robotaxi. Tesla is already planning to expand the geofence this weekend and plans to scale the network to other cities soon.

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